


Ladynoir July

by miraculousstorytelling



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jealousy, Ladynoir with eventual other sides of the square, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-09 11:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7799983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraculousstorytelling/pseuds/miraculousstorytelling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One long continuous story using the Ladynoir July prompts. It begins with a chin scratch that encourages Cat Noir to ask his lady on a movie date and from there, everything changes until they learn exactly who is under the mask and start a brand new relationship in the aftermath. Of course, even after resolving their love square, the heroes of Paris still need to face down Hawkmoth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chin Scratch

**Author's Note:**

> This has already been posted on tumblr under miraculousstorytelling, although it will be edited somewhat. I am still working on this, but it's slow-going. Prompts I used are from ladynoirjuly on tumblr.

Cat Noir had been sluggish the entire press conference, but Ladybug pretended to overlook it. She was usually the one to do most of the talking anyway. But, when one of the reporters set him up for a purrfect pun and he didn't instantly leap on the opportunity, she grew concerned.

"Okay, last question, please."

After the usual flurry of hands, she dodged yet another question about whether the two superheroes were dating, and Ladybug gently grabbed Cat Noir's hand, waving at the crowd. Jerked from his stupor, he waved and sent the crowd a winning smile before following his lady to a more secluded area behind the building housing the press conference.

"What's going on today, kitty?" she asked gently.

He shook his head, trying to draw on his usually endless reserves of energy, only to find they were as depleted as he was. Fashion week was tough enough without a superhero alter ego, he thought sullenly. Finally, he spoke, "Sorry, milady. This cat is exhausted."

She sighed, "You should get some rest." At his slow blink in response, she continued, "You know, you don't have to come to these press conferences."

He frowned, straightening a little to protest, but she cut him off.

"I'm not saying that because I don't want you there. We're a team, and I want you to be there, but if you need to take some time off, I can handle it."

"I'm fine." Even as he said it, his head rested on her shoulder, "I just need a quick cat nap, and I'll be paw-some."

She gently lifted his chin off her shoulder, idly scratching under it as she did, "Sounds like you need more than that, Cat."

Were he more like his namesake, Cat Noir would certainly be purring. As it was, he melted at her touch, "Nah 'm good."

She chuckled, continuing to scratch gently as his head twitched back and forth to angle her fingers where he wanted them, "You say that, but you look like you're already asleep on your feet." Ladybug stepped back with a concerned from, "Take care of yourself, okay?"

He lazily looked up at her, a contented grin spreading over his lips, "Aww... You do care."

She blushed a little under the mask, a sight he never expected to see, "Of course I care, silly kitty." She hooked her yo-yo around the top of a nearby building, "Now, go home and get some sleep."

His blush easily outranked hers in size and color. Perhaps she'd meant she cared for him as her partner. Perhaps she'd only meant to try and urge him to take care of himself. Perhaps, and he certainly hoped with everything in him this was true, she really was starting to return some his affection for her.


	2. Movie Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat Noir asks Ladybug on a movie date, and they find a way to make it work while still maintaining their identities.

"Would you go to a movie with me?"

Ladybug stared as the question hung in the air. Cat Noir looked at her expectantly, about 90% sure she would shoot him down with a smile that would somehow still dazzle him, but hoping she might surprise him.

She did always seem to know how to surprise him.

Ladybug's lips curled into a smile, "And just how would that work, kitty? We'd show up to the theater in our suits?"

"Uhhh..." He paused, scratching the back of his neck, "Honestly? I was still working on that. I thought you'd say no."

She chuckled, "Well, joke's on you. There's actually a movie coming out I'm dying to see and no one else will watch with me."

He brightened, "Really?"

She nodded, "But, how can we go and still keep our identities secret?" Cat Noir was thrilled to see she was actually thinking about it, trying to find a way to make his impulsive suggestion work.

So, he decided to press his luck, "Do our identities _have_ to remain secret?"

She shot him a look that was half-considering, half-annoyed. The more he brought it up, the more even she considered the pros and cons. They had been working together for a while now, and frankly she was running out of reasons to continue saying no.

"Milady...?" He was more than a little surprised she hadn't immediately brushed the suggestion off as usual. Was she actually considering it?

"I've got it!" She smiled, "What if we-"

"What if we just went as our regular selves?" He cut her off, quiet and hopeful.

Ladybug swallowed, "Well..."

"I mean, it would be a lot easier than giant coats and sunglasses."

She blushed, feeling a little foolish that he'd mocked what she had been about to suggest, "But, what if..."

"We don't have to tell each other who we are. We'll...both know we're in the same theater. Just tell me what movie and what time, and I'll be there. If we see each other, then we won't know. Then, we can meet up after and talk about it." The words came out in a rush, and while he hated the suggestion that the event wouldn't resemble the lovely, romantic picture he'd first imagined, at least this was a start.

"Okay."

"Okay?" He smiled, "Really?"

She nodded, "Yes. I know there's a 4:15 showing tomorrow. I'm free."

Miraculously, so was he, "Okay. What movie is it?"

When she named the movie, Cat Noir stared in shock, "Milady, you're a horror movie buff?"

She chuckled, "What can I say? I'm a fan of the adrenaline rush."

Cat Noir had to admit he shouldn't be surprised by that. She did fly through the city at breakneck speeds, after all.

Ladybug glanced up at the sky, sighing, "We should be getting home." She stood, readying her yo-yo, "I'll see you tomorrow." She waved, and he winked.

Wait, did she blush?

She was gone before he could confirm it, but Cat Noir could have sworn she blushed, and now he was starting to suspect she had been replaced by a lookalike or some kind of alien pod.

 

When the next afternoon rolled around, Marinette was a bundle of nerves. Maybe agreeing to this had been a huge mistake. What if Cat Noir figured her out? What if she found out who he was? Maybe she should just turn around and go home...

The memory of him winking startled her, and the fact that she had _blushed_ still baffled her. What was wrong with her? She'd never thought of Cat Noir as anything beyond her overly flirtatious partner. Besides, her heart belonged to Adrien. Well, hopefully one day it would, anyway.

She walked into the theater, looking around for a comfortable spot, but she froze in the aisle when a familiar head of blonde hair peeked out from the middle of the theater. Marinette tried to stealthily creep down and peer around chairs to test her suspicions, but she managed to trip instead.

 

Adrien was silently wondering if Ladybug would actually show. If she did, would he recognize her? He tried to surreptitiously glance around at the crowd, but he was stopped by a familiar shriek.

He turned to look at the collapsed girl in the aisle, "Marinette?"

She turned to look at him, blushing as she leapt to her feet and casually brushed off her pants, "A-Adrien! Hi! I didn't, um, know you were a fan. Of the movie."

He smiled, "Well, I'm not a huge fan, but someone I know gave it a high recommendation." He waved a hand at the empty seat beside him, "Do you want to join me?"

Her eyes widened, blush darkening, "J-join? Um, yeah!" She grinned, "That sounds like fun!"

 

Their small talk before the movie was painfully awkward, but the movie was worth it. Marinette wasn't one to scream at the screen, but she reacted nonverbally to nearly everything. When the plot was intense, she leaned forward so far Adrien was surprised she didn't fall out of her chair. When a character made a reckless decision, she gestured her annoyance, and when it was terrifiying...

Well, Adrien was a little embarrased by what happened then.

Marinette was stunned to see Adrien grip the armrests of his chair when the villain was brutally attacking one of the unfortunately doomed characters. The normally calm boy looked like a cat with its back arched, and before she even registered the decision to act, Marinette was reaching across to his hand and threading her fingers in his.

Both of them jumped and looked at each other, oblivious to the screams playing over the speakers. The moment seemed to drag on forever until an explosion onscreen recaptured their attention. Her hand stayed in his, and he tried desperately not to squeeze it too hard throughout the film.

By the end, they were inches apart, hands clasped together and enthralled in the story. It wasn't until the lights came on that they disentangled themselves, blushing slightly and laughing awkwardly.

"Thanks for joining me," Adrien said with a soft smile.

Marinette smiled in return, "Sure! Anytime." Wow! Not even one stutter. Alya would be so proud.

They waved and parted ways as each darted somewhere private to transform. They met again on top of the theater.

 

Cat Noir was a bit disappointed to note he hadn't paid attention to the crowds enough to spot her, but he was glad to see Ladybug now.

"Did you enjoy the movie, milady?"

She sent him a mysterious smile, "Yes. For several reasons."

A pang of jealousy struck him, and he teased her to cover it up, "Did you have company?"

She blushed, and again the sight caught him offguard, "Well, I met someone there."

"Oh?"

She caught his eyes and laughed, "It's nothing for you to worry about, kitty. We're friends."

"But you wish you weren't." It didn't take a social genius to see that, and he had to admit the realization stung a little.

She nodded, "Yes, but-" She paused, clearly holding back a detail she thought might clue him in to her identity, "But, you don't need to hear about my love life. I'm sure it's pretty boring compared to yours."

He laughed, "I wish."

She raised a brow, "Really? I thought a flirty cat like you wouldn't have any trouble finding a date."

He shrugged, "It's a complicated subject." It was, too, for so many reasons.

"More complicated than the protagonist secretly dating the villain's brother?"

Cat Noir latched onto the new topic, "I know! What were they thinking?! When would they have even met?"

Ladybug laughed, "Yeah, definitely one of the weaker movies in that franchise."

He smiled, "I'm not really familiar with any of the others."

Her eyes widened, "Are you kidding? The first one is a classic."

"Sorry, I'm not much of a horror buff."

Ladybug scooted a little closer to nudge his side, "Really? Were you scared, then?"

His groan answered her without words.

She snickered, trying and failing to cover the sound, "Oh, kitty, I'm sorry. Too bad I wasn't there to hold your hand."

A blush spread over his cheeks as he recalled with perfect clarity exactly how Marinette's hand felt in his, "Well, actually..."

Ladybug was silent for a moment, and Cat Noir briefly wondered if he'd said something wrong, but when she looked at him, he was surprised to find a very familiar emotion rising in her eyes. Jealousy. She was jealous, and he was elated. While she was wrestling with a very unexpected emotion, Cat Noir was battling the urge to make a pun about green-eyed monsters.

Finally, Ladybug spoke, "Well, maybe we can figure out a way to watch the others. Just the two of us." She abruptly stood, "It's late. I have to get back home."

He stood, gently catching her wrist, "I wish it had been you, milady."

The raw honesty in his voice struck a chord in her, prompting a response she never expected to voice, "Me, too."

Because as much as she loved Adrien, denying her affection for Cat Noir was becoming increasingly impossible.

For the second time in two days, Ladybug was swinging off as Cat Noir watched with a blush and a dropped jaw. Okay, that was it, she was definitely a pod person. Or maybe she was weirdly akumatized and playing a long con? Cat Noir quickly ran through possibilities as he vaulted home. Brainwashing? Love potion? Body swap?

Because the idea that Ladybug might actually like him was beyond his comprehension. Particularly because he was now battling some very confusing feelings about Marinette. Wasn't that just his luck?


	3. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Cat Noir face a villain who uses flowers to attack.

This particular akuma was...different, to say the least.

The Florist, he called himself, hurling flowers and covering the streets of Paris in petals. Overall, he was one of the more pleasant villains they had to face.

Well, aside from the thorns.

Ladybug had been mid-Lucky Charm when a rose bush grew out of the ground beneath her, catching her off guard and interrupting her attempts to summon something to help. She gasped in pain, and Cat Noir was by her side in a second.

"Milady, are you all right?"

She scowled, the thorns catching on her suit as she tried to break free from the slowly creeping plant, "Just fine. Can you...?"

"Cataclysm!" He quickly destroyed the plant and tugged his baton free to carry her onto a nearby rooftop, "It should be safer up here." He scanned her calves for any sign of blood, but she stepped away to try her powers again.

"Lucky Charm!" She was a bit confused when a fruit basket dropped from the sky, "What?"

"If you're getting hungry, we can always grab a bite to eat after we finish the akuma." He sent her a wink.

She rolled her eyes even if her cheeks did turn a little pink. Clearly, she was still wrestling with something after their last conversation following their movie almost-date. "Quiet, kitty. I'm thinking." Her eyes darted around as usual, trying to find something that would tell her how to use the basket.

As it turned out, the answer was simple.

She leapt and upended the basket beside The Florist who immediately shrieked about how she needed to keep the fruit away from his precious flowers, spouting something about ethylene. She tossed the basket to Cat Noir who grinned and eagerly slid it on the villain's head.

Ladybug swung by again and snatched the pruning shears out of The Florist's back pocket with a triumphant grin.

She snapped the shears in half, quickly capturing and cleansing the akuma before waving it off and tossing the basket Cat Noir helpfully handed her in the air, "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The two turned to face each other, fists extended, "Pound it!"

Cat Noir smiled, "So, about that bite to eat."

"Maybe another time, kitty. For now..." Their miraculouses beeped simultaneously, and Ladybug giggled, "If we don't leave, our identities won't be very secret anymore."

Before he could protest, she was readying herself to go. And as she swung away, she winked at him. He nearly collapsed.


	4. Scarves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Paris has some particularly cold weather and Marinette is forced to wear her backup, never-supposed-to-see-the-light-of-day Cat Noir scarf, Adrien learns that his friend is a Cat Noir fan.

Parisians everywhere were annoyed by the sudden cold snap that had plagued the city for the past week. Marinette secretly wondered if it was an akuma. And of course she'd spilled coffee on her favorite scarf on her way out the door, so she had no choice but to grab the one she'd finished last night.

She could only hope a certain feline hero didn't see. Even Marinette wasn't sure why she'd made the scarf. Part of her had entertained the idea that it was intended as a gift for Cat Noir. It fit his color scheme, after all. Most of her had known from the beginning, however, this was yet another piece of evidence that her feelings towards her partner were slowly changing. As such, she had never expected it to see the light of day.

Of course, the weather, coupled with her own clumsiness had other plans.

Alya quickly noticed Marinette's new accessory, "Did you make this?" She glanced at the double sided scarf, the front a solid black, the back a bright green dotted with black paw prints.

"Yes, I just finished it last night."

"I had no idea you were a Cat Noir fan." Alya waved to someone over Marinette's shoulder.

Marinette turned just in time to see Adrien approaching them, and she instantly forgot how to speak, as she always seemed to around her classmate.

Adrien grinned, "Hey, is that a Cat Noir scarf?" He leaned in to examine it, "Wow, did you make this?"

Marinette smiled, "Y-Yeah!"

"That's really cool."

Alya smiled as she watched the two interact. As frustrating as their slow progress was, she could tell the two were slowly becoming more comfortable with each other.

Marinette smiled, fingering the edge of the scarf, "Well, I ummm..." She blushed, "Thanks."

He seemed to wrestle with himself for a moment before finally asking, "So, you're a fan of Cat Noir?"

Marinette chuckled. She'd been asking herself the same question for days now. The answer was obvious, even if she struggled to admit it to herself, "Yes, I am." It was easier to confess to it when she wasn't Ladybug.

"Me, too." He spotted Nino behind them and waved, "I'll see you in class." Then, he hurried off to greet his friend.

Marinette was ecstatic. She and Adrien had something else in common! Alya just grinned encouragingly, "Hey, that was way less awkward than normal! Great job, girl!"

 

Later that night, Ladybug noticed that Cat Noir seemed a bit more chipper than normal.

"Someone's in a good mood," she teased as they sat on the edge of a tall office building.

"Well, I had a good day." He swung his feet idly as he spoke, "I found out one of my friends is a fan of mine. Well," he clarified, "A fan of Cat Noir's."

"Oh!" And, try as she might, Ladybug couldn't help the question that seemed to leap straight from her heart to her lips, "It wouldn't happen to be the same friend you held hands with at the movies, would it?"

His eyes snapped to hers in surprise, "It..." A mischievous grin spread over his lips, "Well, actually, it is."

"Hm." She looked away, trying to contain this entirely unwarranted wave of irritation. They were partners. They weren't a couple, and she certainly had no right to be upset. She didn't even like him. Probably.

"Milady..." he feigned surprise as he contorted himself to meet her stare, "Are you, by chance, jealous?"

She resisted the urge to shove him off the roof. Barely. She settled for a scoff, "Not in the slightest."

"Because, you know, if you are, you could just tell me. I'd be happy to discuss it over dinner." His grin was positively infuriating, and the wink that followed pushed her over the edge.

"Fine," Ladybug snapped, standing up, "Let's have dinner. Tomorrow night. We'll meet at our usual spot." She had no idea why she was doing this. Everything in her warned this would surely end in heartbreak for one or both of them, but unfortunately her head seemed to have lost out to her heart tonight.

Cat Noir barely avoided falling back. Instead, he stood up slowly, "Wait, are you serious?"

She looped her yo-yo around a nearby building with a grimace, "9:00. Don't be late, kitty." With that, she was gone.

He stared after her, vaguely registering this was the fourth time in a row she'd left him behind, watching her swing away as he stood, too shocked to respond. Cat Noir silently resolved to turn the tables tomorrow night.


	5. Picnic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Cat Noir share a picnic dinner

Adrien spent most of the day alternately planning and worrying. Marinette spent most of her afternoon in the kitchen. The reminder that Ladybug and Cat Noir would soon be meeting up for what most people would objectively label a date loomed over both of them. Marinette wondered for the hundredth time if this was a mistake, and Adrien asked Plagg for advice so many times the kwami threatened to bite him if he didn't shut up already.

When 9:00 rolled around, Cat Noir jumped from his hiding spot across the way to the building where they typically met for their late-night conversations or patrols. Ladybug was sitting on a pink polka-dotted blanket with a wicker basket and a nervous expression that matched his.

Cat Noir grinned, trying to lighten the mood with a bow, "Good evening, milady."

She glanced up, sending him a small smile, "Evening, kitty."

He settled beside her, and they both seemed to hold their breath in the awkward silence that followed. Cat Noir broke it with a glance at the basket, "Is that dinner?"

She nodded, "I thought a late-night picnic might be nice." He watched as she pulled out two brown cardboard boxes and laid one out in front of him, then set the other in front of herself. She followed the boxes with two mugs, which she quickly filled with what appeared to be tea from a thermos. Ladybug placed the thermos back in the basket, awkwardly adding on, "You can go ahead and open it if you'dlike."

He lifted the lid of the box slowly, and he was thrilled to see the inside was packed with food: croissants, macarons, cookies, and a small quiche. Cat Noir, frankly, was touched she'd put so much thought and effort into their meal.

After a pause, she looked over at him, a little anxious at his unusual silence, "Well...?"

He grinned over at her, "Ladybug, this looks pawsitively delicious!"

She instinctively rolled her eyes at the pun, but she laughed anyway, the tension between them quickly draining, "Well, thanks, kitty. I made some of it myself, but my parents helped with most of it."

"Really? What did you make?"

She indicated the croissants and the cookies, "My dad made the quiche and the macarons."

He quickly scooped up a croissant and bit into it, "Mm!" He grinned, quickly chewing and swallowing it before speaking, "You made this? This is delicious!"

She smiled, "I learned from the best."

He eagerly dug into the small meal, making small talk between mouthfuls. She slowly ate the quiche packed into the box as Cat Noir started with the desserts. When she wasn't looking, he snatched one of the cookies from her box, and she retaliated by taking one of his macarons. Neither seemed to protest too much.

"So," he teased during a lull in the conversation, "Do your parents know you're out having a picnic with a superhero?"

She chuckled, nibbling on the stolen macaron, "Not exactly. I told them I was meeting up with a friend."

"Hm." Cat Noir's chewing slowed as he considered that. The question he'd wanted to ask all day gnawed at him until he finally gave it voice, trying to keep his tone as casual as he could, "So, speaking of, did you actually want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" She gingerly sipped her tea between bites.

"My friend." He almost hated to bring up the subject of Ladybug's uncharacteristic jealousy from yesterday, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Ladybug nearly broke the macaron in half as her grip tightened in irritation. She grimaced, carefully setting the confection down, "And here I thought we were having such a nice time."

His eyes widened, "We were. I thought. I just...you were the one who took me up on talking about it over dinner. Did you actually want to talk-"

"Nope," she calmly cut him off before returning to her tea and finishing off her crumbling macaron. Better to ignore these absolutely baffling feelings of jealousy than inflict her confusing love life on her partner.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, trying to keep a lid on the irrational anger bubbling up inside of her. It wasn't until she realized he was quietly watching her that she finally asked, "Why?"

"Because..." he sighed, "I do."

Her expression softened as she looked over at him. His conflicted frown spoke volumes. Ladybug finally set her cup down with a resigned sigh, "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"Milady, you know I'm in love with you, but..." She blushed, and he barely seemed to notice, "I'm really starting to like this other girl. As my secret identity. She's an amazing person, and I don't want to lead her on, but..." He shrugged, "I don't know what to do."

Ladybug hugged her knees to her chest, "I...understand that." She made a face, "I have a huge crush on this guy, but I'm starting to like another guy, and it's complicated."

"So, which guy am I?" he asked with a small smile, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"Who said you're either?" she teased gently.

"Second one?"

Her face fell as she nodded slowly.

"Who's this guy you have a huge crush on?" he asked softly.

"If I told you, you'd just make fun of me," she replied just as softly.

"I'll tell you who my friend is."

She shook her head, "What if I know her?"

"Then we might know each other."

"And what if we do?" she asked, voice rising in irritation.

"So what if we do?" he shot back, just as irritated.

The question hung in the air for a brief moment before Ladybug looked over, "It's different. You'll definitely know the guy I have a crush on."

He raised a brow, willing to let the familiar identity argument go for now, "What, is he famous?"

She blushed, "You could say that."

"Wait, wait... Let me guess." He considered a moment, then grinned, "Is it XY?"

"Oh, bite your tongue, kitty!" She playfully slapped his arm, "That guy barely deserves to be called a musician!"

He laughed, "Oh, so maybe it's Jagged Stone, then?"

"He's a bit old for me," she responded with a smile, "But, I am a fan of his."

"You need to give me a hint, milady. Is he an actor? Singer?"

She nervously toyed with one of her pigtails, "He's a model, actually." She looked over at him, "But, I don't just like him because he's a model. He's a really good person."

He smirked, "A model, huh? What, I'm not pretty enough to compete?"

She rolled her eyes, "I told you, it has nothing to do with his looks. I've met him before in person. He has a good heart."

Of course, he should have known she wouldn't really fall for someone based on looks alone. Cat Noir pretended to consider for a moment before slowly speaking, "Let me guess. He's from a small town and he worked his way up to modeling, and," he sent her a joking smile, "You're childhood sweethearts."

She snorted, "You've watched too many romantic comedies, kitty. He's from Paris, same as me." He filed away that new piece of Ladybug information as she continued, "I don't know if it was really his choice to get into modeling, actually. I think his father pressured him."

Cat Noir's heart caught in his throat. She couldn't mean... "Wait, are you talking about Adrien Agreste?" The story she told wasn't exactly unique, but the similarities to his own were uncanny.

Her blush deepened, "Um..."

His eyes widened, "You are! You have a crush on him?"

She chuckled nervously, "Okay, yeah. I do. But, I'm serious! It's not just a celebrity crush."

He was torn between laughing and performing a victory dance. She had a crush on his secret identity, and she was starting to like him, too. As complicated as it might be now, he was thrilled to hear he had more than a fighting chance, "Oh, really?" He tried so hard to play it cool, but he couldn't keep the Cheshire grin off his face, "What exactly do you like about him?"

She reached over to shove him on his side, "I definitely shouldn't have told you anything."

He laughed, "Sorry, sorry..." He looked over, "I didn't mean to make fun."

She huffed, "All right, fine. Tell me who your friend is, then."

"I thought you didn't want to know."

"Well, if you're going to make fun of my crush, you have to give me the chance to return the favor," she declared, arms folded over her chest.

"Fine." He sat up, "Her name is Marinette."

Ladybug's eyes widened briefly, "It's...what?" Coincidence. It had to be a coincidence. Surely, she was not the only Marinette in Paris, and the chances that they knew each other...

"Her parents work in a bakery, and she wants to be a fashion designer. She's really sweet."

She watched him, warily looking him over. More coincidences, she assured herself. There was no way he could be talking about-

"She's actually best friends with the girl who runs the Ladyblog."

Okay, the chances of that being a coincidence just plummeted to nonexistent. Even if Alya had another best friend, Ladybug had to admit the chances of anyone else fitting the description he gave was practically zero. She stared at him, eyes wide. They actually knew each other. They had to. He liked her. He liked her as Marinette, which she had previously thought was nearly impossible. How could she have overlooked someone who liked her?

As she pondered that question, she realized the chances were strikingly high. After all, she'd been been completely oblivious to Nathanael's and Nino's crushes on her.

"Interesting." She was quiet, trying to digest the knowledge that she'd somehow missed the fact that she knew her partner as Marinette. "How do you know her?"

"We, ummm..." He tried to think of a plausible lie, "I visited her parents' bakery." More of a half-truth than a lie.

She nodded, "I see." She briefly considered every customer she'd had that even slightly resembled Cat Noir's build and appearance, but she quickly thought better of it. Curious as she might be about his identity, it wouldn't be fair for her to find out in such an underhanded way, "A baker's daughter, huh? No wonder you called her sweet."

"Yeah..." His thoughts were drifting, trying to recall every girl he'd spoken with. Given his profession, singling her out from the dozens of fans he'd met with would be almost impossible. Some part of him had always thought he would instantly recognize her if they met, but clearly he was wrong. His eyes widened as he suddenly realized what she'd said, "Wait, did you just make a pun?"

She giggled, "Goodness, you must have it bad. It took you long enough to notice."

He blushed, "Sorry." Then, he leaned in and playfully nudged her side, "Hey, you know, I think you should go for it. If you really like this guy, you should tell him."

She blushed, fidgeting briefly, "I...I can't even talk around him, though." She sighed, "It's like my brain doesn't know how to function when I look at him."

"Well, haven't you heard that practice makes perfect?" He smiled warmly, "Just try saying hi to him next time you see him."

She nodded slowly, "Okay. I can do that." She glanced over at him, "What about Marinette? Do you still want to talk about her?"

He reached for another croissant, "You know, I feel much better just talking about it, actually."

"Are you sure?" He'd seemed distressed earlier, but he did appear much better now.

He nodded, "Yeah." After all, now that he knew Ladybug liked him, both sides of him, he was sure his feelings for Marinette would have to remain completely platonic. All he had to do was wait until she was comfortable enough to reveal their identities to each other. He didn't need to push. Now he knew he could relax and be patient.

They finished their dinner in peacable silence, broken occasionally by comments on their surroundings or their plans for the weekend ahead. When he'd finished, Cat Noir stood and gently took Ladybug's hand, "Thanks for a wonderful picnic dinner, milady." He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand and spoke softly, "I hope your dreams tonight are as beautiful as you." He fought to keep his expression neutral as a blush crept over her cheeks and her eyes widened.

With a cheeky two-fingered salute and a wink, he leapt off, delighting in the fact that, for once, he was leaving her awkward and blushing.


End file.
